On Monday, May 20, I graduated from the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music with a Masters degree in Choral Conducting. I have been working towards this goal for two years and dreaming of it even longer! It was a wonderful weekend spent with family and friends. Thank you to all for so much support in this adventure!
Last night, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music hosted their annual graduation banquet, where all members of the ISM gather to celebrate the end of another year, give certificates to graduates, and award prizes and scholarships. Last year, I was fortunate to win the Hugh Porter Scholarship, “awarded to a student of exceptional promise and achievement.” This year, I am humbled to say I won the Richard Paul Delong Prize, “awarded to an exemplary church musician.” I must say… it’s in my blood. I felt blessed to have my dad there with me; he, along with my mom, graduated from the ISM in the 70s, and I would never have won this award if they hadn’t modeled excellent church musicianship my whole life.
This past week, I had the opportunity to participate in a conducting masterclass in Zurich, Switzerland. For six days, I studied conducting with Markus Utz, Marguerite Brooks, and Jeffrey Douma. Together with my colleagues from Yale and new friends from the University of Zurich, we conducted pieces by Rheinberger, Reger, Brahms, Bernstein, Hindemith, Argento, and more. This was part two of a three-part masterclass that I am a part of. Part one was last August in Sweden, and part three will take place next September in New Haven. It has been such a blessing to make friends with conductors in other parts of the world!
amanda kate weber 